But I certify you, brethren, that the [message] which was
preached of me is not after man. For I neither received
it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of…
~ Galatians 1:11-12 (KJV) ~
Many reading this may be wondering why a Hellenic Polytheist, writing of the topic on Oracles and seers, would start his discussion with a biblical quote. The answer is simple. It clearly illustrates a point regarding self-anointed oracles, and their reliance on voices in their head above historically accurate information. Paul freely admitted he placed a greater reliance on the voices in his head than on the supposed eye witness testimony of Jesus’ teachings by Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, and others (the others later deemed heretical). Students of history will know that Paul’s conversion, and becoming a leader in early Christianity, caused a fundamental shift in the movement. In fact, it is the teachings of Paul, based on the voices in his head, that modern Christianity is founded, far more than the teachings of Jesus.
It was based on the voices in Paul’s head that early church fathers determined which Jewish and Christian books would be canonized into the Bible, while the others were ordered destroyed. It was based on the voices in Paul’s head that the Gnostics were identified as blasphemers. It was based on the voices in Paul’s head that early Christians who did not accept the divinity of Jesus were labeled antichrists. It was based on the voices in Paul’s head that non-Christians were slaughtered, their temples desecrated, and their works burned. Paul seduced many early Christians into believing that he was in direct communication with the Christian God, and therefore had direct knowledge of what their God wanted beyond the “known” teachings of Jesus. Virtually every atrocity perpetuated by Christians, in the name of their God, can be laid at the feet of this delusional megalomaniac, whether it was his intent or not. Today, modern Hellenismos has a number of charlatans using the fact Greece had oracles and seers to validate them being as Paul, attempting to shape our religion, not by a reasoned exploration of ancient Greece, but by the voices in their head.
What do we know about the ancient oracles of Greece? First, when talking about an oracle, such as the Oracle at Delphi, we are not talking about a person, but the office of oracle and many individuals held the office. Despite romanticized notions, it was not the person who made the office, it was the office that made the person an oracle. The oracles were not the self-anointed, or chosen by a God to be their prophet; they are mundanely appointed in some fashion. Additionally, the one big thing the Greeks had 2000+ years ago, that we do not have, is an informal system of checks and balances.
Oracles, for instance, did not interpret the messages they gave. They where nothing more that a tool used for communication, a conduit for the information to flow (kinda like a radio), and were elected or appointed to the position. They had groups of trained priests translating the messages, much as a communications officer in the military translates a coded message. Today, we have self-anointed “oracles” handing down prophetic messages with no checks and balances, interpreted by their own ego. There is no 3rd party evaluation, no testing, no training, no nothing, just a bunch of yahoos proclaiming that god so-and-so spoke to him and told him to be his oracle and priest. Then this megalomaniac says and does whatever his ego tells him. With a little flowery speech and empty spiritually sounding rhetoric, people buy into it.
The so-called information these voices give to these self-proclaimed oracles is described by them as Gnosis (spiritual information), which is often untested and unable to be in any way verified or validated as true. Do I believe in mystical experience, communion with the Gods, and Divine possession? I sure do. Do I believe that people are “chosen,” as prophets, or can independently proclaim themselves an oracle? No, I do not.
It is crucial that a mystical experience be explained, tested, and critiqued, not merely accepted at face value, especially if the information is coming through someone other then yourself. One must ask how information fits within Hellenic concepts, values, and practices. Does the information expand or explain existing knowledge? Does the perceived information conflict with the concepts of piety, reciprocity, and moderation? Does the information conflict with the virtues of temperance (self-control), prudence (forethought), fortitude (courage), and righteousness (justice)? Can the information be reasoned to be true? Reasoned by making a declaration that explains or justifiing the information in a logical sense, not just say it “feels right.” Is it ego talking, or the Gods?
People who are convinced of their “specialness” need to be avoided. One must place ego to the side, and look at the bigger picture. We must test gnosis by asking is this a message, is this a greasy hamburger induced hallucination, or is this ego. Gnosis is not irrelevant. If the Gods (or a God) is asking to a one time sacrifice, or even a new local festival to be created, that is not over the top. It can be tested to be orthopraxic, but if one thinks Hermes (for example) gave them a vision that he or she are chosen to be his oracle, do “his work,” and be “his representative” to the people, that does not stand the test, and is most likely a self created, ego induced delusion.
This is a fundamental truth regarding the Hellenic religion; no one stands between you and the Gods. A priest is not a God’s representative on earth to the people; a priest is the people’s representative to a God. In the majority of cases, the individual does not even need them. This is not to say that seers and oracles are historically irrelevant, or even irrelevant to our modern religion. What is irrelevant are the delusional ravings of megalomaniacs who think they are the Hellenic version of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Paul, or Muhammad. Hellenismos does not need its own version of Paulists, influenced by individuals who claim they are “chosen by God” and given divine revelation by voices in their head.
Additional Reading
- The Seer in Ancient Greece by Michael Flower
- The Road to Delphi: Scenes from the History of Oracles by Michael Wood
- The Oracles of the Ancient World: A Comprehensive Guide by Trevor Curnow
- Oracles, Divination and Prophecy in Ancient Greece by Sarah Johnston
